Annual Club Cover Letter

To: CCSAM Ski Club Presidents
From: Karin McSherry, CCSAM Executive Director
Date: September 23, 2011

Re: 2011-12 Annual Club Update & Registration information

Hello Club Presidents! Please find enclosed some important information you’ll need to register your cross country ski club for the upcoming ski season:

  1. 2011 CCSAM Annual General Meeting invitation and Proxy form.
  2. Club Application form – New format – due November 1st
  3. Membership List – Excel format
  4. Club member waiver form – NEW!
  5. Sample Financial Report
  6. Club Coach & Club Development – grant info & applications
  7. 2012-13 Bingo Application
  8. CCC Insurance Manual – updated September 2011

Club Application & Membership

Please complete the Club Application form and return, with club fee, no later than November 1st 2011.

Once your club membership starts growing you are required to submit your membership list as often as needed to ensure your members are included in the CCSAM database.

NEW for 2011 CCSAM will be managing club memberships via Zone4.ca. For those not familiar, Zone 4 is a software and data management system for sport organizations. Zone 4 has extended its services by standardizing a Divisional Membership System so that clubs can easily handle all of their club membership, program, and event registration in an online membership database with built in Reporting Modules to a number of participating Sport Governing Organizations (including CCSAM).

In plain language – your members can sign up for club membership or register for club events using Zone4.ca. Many of our clubs have actually been using this service for a number of years. What’s new is that CCSAM will now manage our membership database and invoice clubs using Zone 4.

Do not be afraid! If you are not interested in engaging in this online environment and are most comfortable with simple excel files emailed to me in the office – this option is still available. If you are a club that has been submitting hard copy (pen/paper) membership lists – this is also still acceptable – for now. I strongly encourage clubs (that are not using Zone4) to submit membership lists electronically using the Excel format provided.

As always, all clubs must submit a list of scheduled club events & activities as per Cross Country Canada’s Liability insurance.

Please remember that all members of your club need to be registered with CCSAM. This includes all of your officials and coaches and volunteers working with your Jackrabbits and other club programs/activities.

 Club Waiver form – NEW

Cross Country Canada has once again updated its insurance waiver/release requirements (new insurance provider). There is now only one waiver – appropriate for both club members and/or event participants (in the past, membership and participation waivers were unique).

As always, every club member must sign and submit to you, as a condition of their club membership, a club waiver form (now called an “Informed Consent and Assumption of Risk Agreement”) as provided by our insurance provider.

Zone 4 registered clubs, please refer to the Sep 6, 2011 Club Services message on zone4.ca for directions on cutting/pasting the new text into your club registration settings.

Financial Report

In order for a club to remain eligible for program funding assistance from CCSAM a report of the club’s financial position must be submitted annually. This provides a snapshot of your club’s income, expenses and “net worth”.

Over 10% of CCSAM’s total annual budget is passed directly onto our clubs through various funding programs. Our financial partner, Sport Manitoba, requires us to account for these submissions.

CCSAM Club Funding Programs

See below the list of programs CCSAM manages to provide financial support to our clubs. Full details including application forms and post event reports are available for download from our website. Please contact me in the office for direct email copies.

  1. Club Coach grant – Application deadline: October 15th
  2. Club Development grant – Application deadline: October 15th
  3. Manitoba Cup Race Series
  4. Bingos (Manitoba Lotteries)
  5. Provincial Championship Hosting grant

Please refer to the CCSAM website for everything cross country skiing! Among many other things you will find CCSAM Policies, upcoming coaching, officials and CANSI courses and our event schedule. In many cases CCSAM policies will affect your club programs and members. Please take some time to become familiar with these and be aware of any updates or additions.

If your club is interested in organizing a CCSAM competitive event then you will need to be familiar with the Event Organizer’s Guide (updated annually) that will explain the steps to take and the guidelines for hosting a Division sanctioned event.

To all clubs currently offering a Jackrabbits program, please watch the mail for your 2012 sample kit from me. For those clubs that are interested in this material please contact me to request a package.

CCSAM Board of Directors meetings are held monthly from September to June. Each club president or club-appointed representative is welcome to attend these meetings and present a monthly club or program report. Your club representative will need to contact the CCSAM office to confirm meeting dates each month.

And finally, CCSAM is your Association and the CCSAM Board of Directors and I are here to help your club reach its full potential. This includes providing assistance to run coach, official and athlete development clinics in your region. Please contact me to find out more.

Thank you for taking the time to read over this information. I hope that your club will join the CCSAM team this year and take an active role in the growth and development of cross country skiing in Manitoba.

See you on the trails!